Our time at Treetop House by Marie Boden, Jayden’s mum

Our son Jayden was born in Rotherham in November 2010 with cystic fibrosis. Further testing with an X-ray revealed that he had a blockage in his bowels, so he was transferred immediately to Sheffield Children’s Hospital and at only five days old he had to have an operation.

After this everything seemed to be okay, but then he started losing weight rapidly and at the start of February 2011 we had to take him back to hospital for a week to undergo tests. He was released for the weekend and we were hopeful that he had turned a corner but then he took a turn for the worse and was readmitted for more tests. We were on the ward for two weeks before the doctors told me it would be a long term stay. It was at this appointment that the consultant mentioned The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Homes from Home’, as it became clear that this time we were going to be in hospital for quite a while.

Before we got a room at Treetop House we were travelling back and forth from our home in Rotherham, which was half an hour each way, and with neither myself nor my partner being able to drive, we had to use public transport. This isn’t ideal when you have a sick child and every second counts. We just wanted to be close to Jayden all the time.

The first week Jayden was on the ward, when we didn’t have anywhere to stay, we were going back and forth to do our washing. We were just rushing into our home, tidying and putting a quick wash on with enough to keep us going for a few days before going straight back to the hospital. Eating out was also proving expensive. We didn’t want to stay at home and make meals as being by Jayden’s side was our priority, so we would grab a quick snack from the hospital canteen just to keep us going. All these little things added to the stress of what we were already going through, but once we found accommodation at Treetop House these were no longer an issue. It’s these little touches that make such a difference.

Staying at the house not only helped us to physically stay close to Jayden but also mentally gave us peace of mind. When we were staying there we used the phones in the rooms to keep in touch with the ward and would often call down just to check on his progress and make sure he was doing okay.

In the last few weeks Jayden also came and stayed with us in the house and although he is too young to take advantage of the play room or even watch TV, I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt to be like a normal family. As Jayden got ill pretty much straight away after he was born, we haven’t had the chance to do “normal” family things like cook a meal together or just sit in the room and play with toys. The Sick Children’s Trust provided us with a place to do that and really helped us all bond together as a family – I think spending this type of quality time together also helped Jayden to recover quicker, as it is so much better being close to one another. I am sure having us around and being away from the wards gave him strength to get through his illness quicker.

My mum and dad also came for a visit as they were desperate to meet their first grandchild. It was so just so lovely to be able to sit in the lounge at the house and relax with a cup of tea and talk to mum and dad and let them sit and cuddle Jayden without all the noises of the ward going on in the background. As well as having our own family around us, meeting other families also helped as it was reassuring to know we were all going through the same situation. We could draw on each other’s strengths and support each other through the good times and the bad.
We’d never been to Sheffield before and coming from Rotherham was quite disorientating. The house managers were wonderful in helping us adjust to our new situation and letting us know where all the shops were, which we would never have had time to find on our own.

We have just left the house and are going home for the first time which is very exciting for us. We will have to come back every week for a check up for the rest of Jayden’s life but thankfully it should only be for a day visit. I can’t thank The Sick Children’s Trust enough for its support during this time.

From Gibraltar to London

The Wilson Family






My family first stayed at Stevenson House in August 2010 for three months when our 11year old son Jack was diagnosed with a tumour in his pituitary gland. We later found out this was part of Cushing’s disease - a rare and difficult condition to diagnose.

When our hospital in Gibraltar confirmed that we would have to have him transferred to the UK to undergo tests we didn’t know how we would manage and as we also had two other young sons to consider the panic set in at an early stage.

Thankfully though, through searching online and with a little guidance from a kind member of Jack's clinical team we were told about The Sick Children’s Trust’s Stevenson House, so my wife Lynn and my boys Sheigh, nine, and Ellis, seven, had a new temporary ‘Home from Home’.

Staying at the house helped in many ways. First of all I could not work and look after my other two children. Instead of my wife being confined to a hotel room with two small boys, the home provided a warm and friendly atmosphere which helped to take away the feeling of being alone in a large city.

The house was very near to the Royal London Children’s Hospital, making what would have been a long trip back and forth to the hospital more manageable. The facilities at Stevenson House also helped, as we sometimes found ourselves having to cook a meal at 11pm at night so knowing that we didn’t have to seek out a late night restaurant to find some food was a reassurance. Just eating at the house was a breath of fresh air that broke up the monotony of the hospital.

Meal times were an essential part of our daily routine and crucial in giving our other two children stability. Being able to store our own comfort foods helped my children to keep their mind off of their brother and keep a modicum of normality. Financially it was a weight off our mind at a time where so much was in the balance.

It was also comforting for Jack to know I was only just around the corner. We promised him a trip in the wheelchair once he got out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the smile on his face when he had his first home cooked meal can't be put into words.

When Jack knew he had to stay in hospital on his own he was reassured that he had a direct telephone line to our room in the house. During the weeks of ICU that link became more vital as my wife and I rotated shifts around him whilst managing two other small children.

We made many friends in the house and it was comforting that others around us could understand what we were going through. Our children also befriended other children during our stay which relieved their boredom and also helped them through a difficult time, taking their mind off what their brother was going through. They loved playing in the house as there was plenty for them to do and they went through most of the video collection! Jack came over to the house too and was allowed to stay for the day of Halloween. We managed to buy some pumpkins and scoop them out and put them in the window; memories like that last a lifetime.

Having Sheigh and Ellis stay with us at Stevenson House was essential. We had decided before we came to the UK that we were in this together as a family and it would have destroyed us if they hadn't been allowed to stay. We are a very close unit and we do most things together. They were also old enough to know what was going on and I know they wouldn't have forgiven us if we hadn't taken them.

The Stevenson House staff were helpful in so many ways that may seem trivial to others but to us they were a god send. For example, just highlighting points of interest in the area or explaining where the nearest park was for our sons, sharing helpful tips on transport and generally making us feel at home so we didn't feel isolated. It meant so much for the staff not only to be interested but also concerned; their enthusiasm and compassion were to be applauded.

Jack has improved dramatically now and is back to school and although he is medication dependant, we are positive about the future. Recovery is a long process but he is looking forward to his next trip to the UK in September and in his own words he said "I never thought I would ever tell you I was looking forward to going back there." To me that shows how much he has moved forward.

We have stayed at The Sick Children’s Trust twice more since our initial visit last year. As someone that lives 2000 miles away it almost brings me to tears when I think how easy this charity made my most difficult time, especially as we knew how busy the house was. The Sick Children’s Trust showed all the qualities which you would expect from a professional organisation and I cannot thank them enough.


By Neil Wilson, Jack’s dad

Stevenson House saved us.

(Christopher on the beach post operation)

When we discovered that our young son Christopher would need an operation to remove his eye due to retinoblastoma, we were very concerned about finding somewhere to stay near to the Royal Children’s London Hospital. The operation was scheduled very early in the morning making it highly impractical for us to travel to London on public transport all the way from Epsom with a sick and understandably uneasy child.

However the hospital directed us toward The Sick Children’s Trust’s Stevenson House, right next-door to the hospital. This allowed us stay together as a family the night before Christopher’s operation, removing the added stress of travel arrangements on this already worrying day. Having a safe, comfortable and friendly place where we could cook meals and have a bath was a godsend. It also really helped us settling Christopher the night before his operation.

Christopher absolutely loved the house; he could play quietly and watch TV away from the busy hospital environment. The staff members in the ‘Home from Home’ were so welcoming and were fantastic with Christopher and while he refused to eat in the hospital he was happy to eat at the home as it felt like a normal environment. The staff’s little touches like providing him with a ‘Finding Nemo’ soft toy helped distract Christopher from the nature of his trip. The house manager was fantastic and very approachable she always found time to talk with us and was a big hit with Christopher.

It was also really beneficial for us as parents to spend time with other families staying in the house. We had dinner with those who understood the anxiety of having a sick child and as a group we shared our experiences, helping to lessen the isolation and fear we felt during this stressful time. Staying at the house was incredibly helpful as the ward had no facilities for family members whatsoever; having somewhere that we could take turns to wash and rest made the entire experience far more comfortable.

Christopher is now a happy, healthy six year old. We have stayed at Stevenson House on a number of subsequent occasions when Christopher has needed checkups and it is always a pleasant experience. We feel such gratitude towards The Sick Children’s Trust for providing this help when we were at our most vulnerable and frequently donate toys and money in the hope that more families can access this much needed support.

Victoria Payne, Christopher’s Mum

Our Three Peaks adventure by Rob Clark, The Sick Children's Trust Corporate Fundraiser

Friday 16 September

9am: I am standing in a bus depot in Northampton thinking what have I let myself in for? I am about to help drive a 17 seat minibus for the very first time, filled with a team of volunteers from Barclays, over 1200 miles to complete the 24hr Three Peaks challenge.

10am: Everyone's on board , the Sat Nav is working, we've only gone 100 yards and my co-driver Craig tells me I've just driven past our very first right turn! This is going to be a very long 1,200 miles.

4-5pm: The drive is going well, the M6 just seems to be endless but everyone is in high spirits. The views, as we drive through Northern England and into Scotland are stunning with rolling hillsides, sharp escarpments and lochs that stretch out as far as the eye can see.

8pm: We finally arrive in Glen Coe in bonnie Scotland. Driving through Glasgow, in a minibus during rush hour, was an experience as were some of the long and winding roads that hug Loch Lomond. However Craig and I made the time just slip away (the others mentioned the word purgatory!!) with our karaoke stylings of Tom Jones, The Proclaimers and Chaz n' Dave's greatest hits.

Saturday 17 Septeber

5.30am: Craig and I (now known as Mum and Dad) are up with the lark cooking a Full English breakfast (or would that now be called a full Scottish) for everyone in the team and we even did the washing up!! Owning our own Café is surely just a matter of time.

7.30am: Our intrepid Barclays mountaineering team of Gemma, Ian (team Leader), Karen, Ian, Anj, Howard, Lydia, Andrew, Amie, Clare and Derek are assembled at the foot of Ben Nevis. It's raining but what's new and after a quick photo shoot and a safety chat from Ian, off they go to take on the UK's highest peak.

4pm: After one hell of a climb they are all back down and in one piece. The summit was shrouded in cloud but when the weather broke, on their way down, they had some fantastic views of the Scottish countryside from over 3,500 feet up. Mum and Dad had been shopping so we had lots of goodies for our weary climbers to eat and drink. Craig whipped up his signature dish of Pasta with creme fraiche and peas and I was in charge of buttering the rolls.

5.30pm: Back in the van, I once again decided to take a slightly different route to the one offered by our Sat Nav as I drove into a local hotel car park. Although it was a quieter it was not the most direct route back onto the motorway and the well disguised speed bump did my driving credentials no favours either. With no damage done to either bus or passengers we continued on but I'm sure we didn't have a sun roof where Clare was sitting before we started!!

For safety reasons it was decided by Ian and the group to miss Scarfell Pike and go straight onto Snowden. Disappointing for some but safety had to be the maintained at all times. So, cue Tom Jones on the CD player and we were off again for a fun packed nine hour drive to Wales. 10 minutes into the journey and everyone, apart from me and Craig of course, were fast asleep! Our route is being accompanied by torrential rain and strong winds but as if by magic for our sleeping beauties in the back we arrive safe and sound at Pen-y-pass at the foothills of Mount Snowden.

Sunday 18 September

3am: With the rain still lashing down, Ian, our mountain guide has another chat to our climbers with strict instructions to ensure their safety on the mountain. Whatever I say about this group from Barclays is not enough because they were superb throughout the whole trip. Cheerful, determined and a pleasure to be with in challenging conditions. Unfortunately injury and coldness to some of the members of the team meant they didn’t reach the summit but their commitment to this venture and towards our charity is first class.

1pm: We arrive back in Milton Keynes, we all hug and say our goodbyes. I feel this shared experienced has enabled us to get to know each other better and our partnership with Barclays is going from strength to strength. The minibus driving went well too with Craig and I taking it in turns to sleep whilst the other was at the wheel. In the end our Three Peaks team has managed to raise over £3,500 and with Barclays matched funding scheme, that amount will increase to £6,500 which is a brilliant effort and will benefit our charity and the families we help enormously.

Thank you to Gemma, Ian (team Leader), Karen, Ian, Anj, Howard, Lydia , Andrew, Amie, Clare, Derek and of course my co-driving buddy Craig.

Our stay at Eckersley House

My husband and I stayed at Eckersley House from January 2011 for nearly three months as our son Josh, who is two years old, has a congenital heart defect, which the doctor has described as unique and complicated.

We found out about The Sick Children’s Trust through the Children’s Heart Surgery Ward at the Leeds General Infirmary when Josh was admitted to the cardiac unit and they have been a massive help not only practically but emotional too during this time.

Living in Pontefract, Eckersley House has helped us financially as we have not had to pay for petrol or a hotel; it really has removed some stress. It has been so important to be across from the ward, having nearly lost Josh five times during his treatments, it is absolutely critical that we are here. I couldn’t even imagine not been able to hold his hand when he needed me at any point day or night, and thanks to The Sick Children’s Trust I didn’t have to endure that.

Being at Eckersley House has helped give the family a sense of normality. Josh’s older siblings have come over to stay and we have all sat down together around the table and eaten a home cooked meal. Josh has actually eaten more at Eckersley House than the hospital as he doesn’t like the food off the trolley, so it’s been an important part of his recovery – keeping his strength up.

My husband Tony and I have also found respite at the house. It allows us to spend some quality time together and take stock of the situation, away from the wards, which given the stressful nature of our circumstances, don’t really help you to think straight.

We have met some lovely friends through staying at Eckersley House and it’s been such a comfort knowing others are going through similar situations. Jane and the team at the house have been so fantastic, helping us feel settled and have become our friends and allow us to interact in an otherwise unfamiliar environment.

Josh now has outpatient appointments and is in palliative care so we will still be staying at Eckersley House when necessary. We are so grateful to The Sick Children’s Trust for providing a great service in our time of need.

Jo Smith, Josh’s mum

All the way from Gibraltar.

Pic caption: (L-R) Liana, Dario, Gianara and Angelo Vassallo

When our son Dario was born in our local hospital in Gibraltar, the first few days of his life were like any newborns. However by day five, when the midwife came to check on him, she noticed that he was losing weight and was very lethargic.

I was breast-feeding him like I did for his sister but there was something wrong which no one could pin point. At the beginning, the medical staff said it was a feeding problem, so we tried everything to make him eat more but he still wasn’t gaining weight so he was admitted to hospital where we stayed for nine days.

During this time the doctors did lots of tests and Dario was being tube fed. On the outside everything seemed okay but it was obvious that Dario was not. Then they did a metabolic screening and saw that he had acid in his blood and we were told by the doctors that they did not know how things were going to turn out for us.

That afternoon Dario and I were rushed by an air ambulance to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London. As only one parent was allowed to fly in the air ambulance my husband had to join me on the second day.

It was such a long way from our home and I was so disorientated when we arrived that finding a place to stay was the last thing on my mind. All I could think about was our son, and him getting better. On the first night I was found a room on the women-only mezzanine at the hospital but by the time my husband arrived the next day I was told we couldn’t stay at the hospital indefinitely and we weren’t sure what to do. We didn’t have any family in London and we couldn’t afford to stay in a bed and breakfast long term, but then the Family Accommodation team at GOSH mentioned The Sick Children’s Trust’s Guilford Street House to us. We stayed with them for three weeks in August 2010.

From the moment we entered the doors at Guilford Street House we felt at home. It has such a welcoming and warm feel to the place, not at all clinical like the wards, and it also felt like a safe haven, where my husband and I could be together and face each day as a family with a clear head. We were just around the corner or a phone call away to our room, should an emergency occur. We had that constant reassurance that we were as close as we could be.

Being around other families in similar situations made us realise that we were not so alone. We met this Portuguese couple and they shared their stories with us and us with them. We enriched each other’s lives and drew the positive out of our situations.

Also, for Dario I know being very near to us helped him cope better with the situation and had a positive effect on his recovery. He was so young and I wanted to do everything in my power to ensure that the bond between him and me had the opportunity to grow still, given the circumstances. By having a place to stay so close to the hospital, every precious moment could be spent by his side.
A few days before returning to Gibraltar, the doctors advised us that it would be good for us to try and deal with Dario’s condition outside of a hospital environment. I was very scared to do this, it was an out of your body sensation but we had to face our fears and do it to see how we were going to be in the outside world. We brought him over to the house and it wasn’t nearly as bad as we thought. Being in a familiar environment helped us all relax and take it one step at a time, giving us the confidence for the road that lay ahead.

Tina, the house manager, was an incredible support to us during our stay. She is a lovely lady and a very genuine person. She offered her heart to us and it helped us knowing that she was there with emotional and practical advice should we need her.
Our son is doing really well now and at our last check up the doctors said it was a pleasure to see him so well which was brilliant news. Although we still do not have his diagnosis we are hoping to get it soon, although the fact of the matter is that Dario is now a happy thriving little boy and this is all I can ask for.

We always make a point of trying to pop in and see Tina when we are over and although it is difficult, we did also have some good memories of our time spent at Guilford Street House. It was a privilege for us to be part of this charity which we are forever thankful to.

Liana, Dario’s mum

Our story by Katie Scott, Carmen’s mum

We stayed at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Rainbow House for five days in March 2010, when our daughter Carmen was being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) after suffering from chronic kidney failure.

Carmen was just 17 months old when she became unexpectedly very ill one day at our home in Polegate, near Eastbourne. She was taken into our local hospital Eastbourne District General Hospitaland at first the doctors thought it was gastroenteritis but then she suffered a cardiac arrest due to severe dehydration and was rushed to Evelina Hospital before being transferred to GOSH with chronic kidney failure, two days later.

At the hospital she was immediately placed on a life support machine in intensive care and we feared for the worst. All we wanted to do was stay by Carmen’s bedside day and night but the nurses told us that the hospital accommodation was only temporary and that it may just be possible for only one parent to stay on the ward.

The notion that my partner, Ben, may have to go all the way home every day, leaving me on my own in such a scary situation, was a horrible thought. But then one of the nurses told me about The Sick Children’s Trust’s ‘Home from Home’.

They were there for us when we thought we had nowhere else to go.

Staying at Rainbow House helped us no end. The house manager, Sandra, was such a lovely person, very kind and welcoming and she made us feel at home as much as we could, straight away. It reassured our families that we were okay and had somewhere to stay so far away from home and it helped Carmen with her recovery as we were able to be with her all the time and we were only staying around the corner.

We had great peace of mind knowing that the ward could contact us day or night through the phone in our room at the house, and having a place to cook our dinners was a huge help to keeping our mind focused every day. It was also lovely to have somewhere to go, just to get away for an hour or so. To have a bath and a comfy bed to sleep in was amazing, even though we didn’t get much sleep!

It was also nice to meet other families staying at Rainbow House and talk to people in similar situations. Just knowing that we weren’t alone helped lift the burden of our situation.

Carmen is on the mend slowly, she will eventually need to have a kidney transplant at some stage in the near future, but for now she is doing so well with both her kidneys functioning at 21%. We want to thank The Sick Children’s Trust so much for being there when we needed them. It made such an awful time that little bit more bearable.

Cumbria RU Charity Bike Ride 2011

The weekend of the 8th-10th July 2011 saw a very different task ahead of the Cumbria RU Development Team, as they swapped their Development Plans for Bicycles!

Earlier in the year RDO Liam Nicholls had the birth of his second child Harry who unfortunately at one week old was taken very ill and rushed to the RVI at Newcastle. During the extensive testing by specialists within the Special Care Baby Unit the worry of where to stay was taken away by Crawford House, this purpose built accommodation ran by The Sick Children’s Trust meant a huge burden had been removed from the shoulders of Liam and partner Sarah so that they could focus on caring for Harry during this tough time. Almost 6 months on and Harry is coping with his Galactosemia through a controlled diet but many other babies who were in hospital at the same time will still be there due to premature births and specialist attention being required. This means that Crawford House will be providing a constant oasis for the parents at this difficult time.

This is what sparked Liam and team into a fund raising effort to support The Sick Children’s Trust rather than giving a smaller one off donation. To raise the target of £1500 it was felt that a unique challenge had to be presented and so the 265 mile cycle around all the Rugby Clubs in Cumbria was decided to be the best option.
The core team consisted of; Liam Nicholls (RDO), Martin Grealish (CRC Copeland), Graham Kidd (CRC Carlisle), Garry Holmes (CRC South Lakes), Kieran Marshall (CRC Barrow) and Ryan Young (Brother in Law of Liam). Support was provided by Trevor Richardson (CRC Allerdale), Russell Gainford (CRC Copeland) and Shelley Atkinson (CRC Eden) with guest riders joining in at various sections of the route.

DAY 1 After a crisp & early morning bus trip to the Furness peninsula courtesy of S H Brownrigg Coaches Egremont, the team got their final preparations in prior to setting off back up the coast on a journey taking in Hawcoat Park, Furness, Millom, Gosforth, Egremont, Moresby, St Benedict’s, Whitehaven, Workington and eventually Cockermouth where they would be camping for the evening. En route the cyclists were met my members of Millom RUFC and lunch was provided by Egremont RUFC giving a much needed boost to the team after a tough mornings work. The next main refreshment stop was at Workington RFC where some ice cold juice and mars bars were provided for all the team, these were key to getting through the final leg into Cockermouth riding into a headwind all the way. In the evening the team received an excellent meal provided by Cockermouth RUFC on completion of a very hilly and challenging first day. Seizing the opportunity to capitalise on some tired legs Cockermouth then challenged the team to a game of ‘Touch Rugby’ which was a competitive event despite the aching limbs!

Trevor ‘Monty’ Richardson who was in charge of logistics also managed to talk Sandra and Steve Stainton into cooking breakfast for the team as well, so a huge thanks to the Cockermouth Club for everything they did to support the fund raising effort. Due to his youthful exuberance Trevor also manage to damage his ribs during a game of touch which prompted a consequent doctors visit and a lack of activity for 6 weeks to allow some healing to take place.


DAY 2 Day 2 produced some very stiff team members and packing up the bags and tents took substantially longer than usual, however the smell of breakfast cooking in the clubhouse was the carrot for all members to increase their pace. After a substantial refuelling the team set off to Netherhall the first call of the day, Netherhall provided more refuelling which was very handy as this proved to be the longest day of the trip, again the hospitality of the club was excellent despite dealing with another convention on the club site. Silloth was the next port of call and then the up and down road to Aspatria was calling all riders! A brief stop at Aspatria saw the riders then set off to Wigton where lunch was waiting in the form of Harrisons Cumberland Sausage Baps, this prospect excited everyone and was probably the fastest 8 miles of the trip, no one travelled the miles faster than Trevor Richardson in the red support vehicle, as anyone knows ‘Pies and Sausage are his forte’! After stocking up on sausage sandwiches the team then set off for Carlisle getting caught up in a horrendous downpour on the way with flash flooding, thunder and lightning all thrown into the equation. However everyone plodded on at their own pace knowing that it would not be too long until we could get dry and warm again. The usual hospitable welcome ensued at Carlisle with a large welcome party but again the stay was brief to ensure we remained on track to complete the ride in a decent time. However the team still managed to take on plenty of Calories thanks to the efforts of Graham Kidd’s wife Suzanne. A brief photo at Creighton was the next stop before the team picked up the pace to cross into the Eden Valley.
Penrith was the next destination where the weather was beautiful, sunny and very warm. Some ice cold Lucozade and King Size Mars Bars courtesy of Geoff Matthews were just the tonic to drive the riders through the final 22 miles of day 2 towards Upper Eden. This was a stunning part of the journey with a lot of up and down riding but the sun shone on the righteous and the arrival at Upper Eden at around 8:15pm was a very welcome one clocking up 104 miles for the day. The news that the tents were not required for the evening was also extremely welcome as the club invited us to sleep on the clubhouse floor coupled with a BBQ to take replenish some more energy.

DAY 3 On the third and final day the team awoke to a beautiful morning in Kirkby Stephen and used the Upper Eden Facilities to make some bacon sandwiches and refreshments to prepare for the day ahead. The morning involved a cycle downhill towards Sedbergh and then onward to Kirkby Lonsdale around 34 miles which unfortunately contained a slight headwind! The weather improved as the day progressed and arrival at Devils Bridge in Kirkby attracted many odd looks as we arrived on non engined bikes amongst the multitude of motorcycles at this famous landmark. After unsuccessfully trying to swap mountain bikes with a number of true bikers we carried on to the club where we were confronted with a Harley Davidson Convention and more bikers! The temptation was almost enough to break a few of the riders but we decided to carry on with leg power for a while longer. Kirkby provided some more sandwiches for the gang and also a crossbar challenge which was won nonchalantly by Graham Kidd who had clearly been saving his energy for this task!
There was unfortunately no avoiding the main A65 road towards the motorway from Kirkby so the riders had to be extra vigilant. We did manage to lose one rider at this point, Calumn Howse who could be seen entering Kendal later on via the main dual carriageway and not the suggested ‘back road’, he was however difficult to miss in his luminous orange top to match his hair!

Looming in the back of everyone’s mind was the upcoming trek up Dunmail Raise after we had left Ambleside, but the team enjoyed the quiet and scenic ride up to Windermere & Ambleside Rugby Clubs with the latter providing some well needed refreshments and snacks plus a blindfolded kicking challenge which Kieran Marshall looked like he had been doing for years! He converted his first effort easily suggesting he maybe needs to do a bit more work!!

The team chatted to members of Ambleside / Westmorland Barbarians happily delaying the departure and hence the climb up the formidable ‘Dunmail Raise’. The ‘calm before the storm’ was a beautiful winding ride bypassing Ambleside Centre followed by the extremely tough ascent of the aforementioned Dunmail. Some riders were beaten by the sheer size and length of the pass but other just ground out the yards and reached the top eventually after what seemed like hours of pedalling. The reality of the situation however was, that we were less than an hour of completing the whole journey with loved ones waiting in the Keswick sunshine for our arrival. An easy rise to the east of Thirlmere and a sharp rise to the Lonsties area of Keswick saw the group congregate ready for the ‘Freewheel’ down into Keswick. The town was doused in sunshine and the breeze blew as all the riders accelerated down the main road hardly touching the pedals for the first time in 3 days! The final turn into ‘Davidson Park’ was excellent as families and friends welcomed back the team after a fairly epic journey, it was extremely emotional moment with all riders embracing one another in recognition of the effort invested in the last 72 hours cycling. Also on hand was a very alert Harry Nicholls welcoming all the riders back from their trek.

Keswick RFC supplied meals of the riders choice which was the most ideal way for the riders to finish and was appreciated by every single individual.
The Cumbria Development Team would like to thank each and every club who came out to support, donate and offer motivation and challenges to the members. Thanks also to SH Brownrigg Coaches, West Cumbria Learning Centre for their support. Final thanks to Liam Magennis of UK Screening Solutions who provided; A Support Vehicle, Liquid Refreshments & Energy Bars, First Aid Provision, Tshirts & Cycling Jackets and a £500 donation towards The Sick Children’s Trust.

Day 1 Miles = 86
Day 2 Miles = 104
Day 3 Miles = 71
TOTAL MILES = 171

We were just minutes away from the ward.

Our daughter Honor was born in October 2010 and we were discharged from hospital and had a lovely few days at home.

However, on day five of life Honor suddenly became extremely unwell. We took her to our local Accident and Emergency in the early hours and after initial treatment in Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, it became apparent that she had a heart problem and she was transferred by the CATS team to the cardiac intensive care unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

Once there she was diagnosed with an uncommon defect of the blood supply to her heart (ALCAPA) and since first showing signs of being unwell she had, to our horror, suffered a heart attack. Honor had her first operation at just six days old.

It soon became clear that things were not going to be straightforward and that we would have to be in London for several weeks. We have two other children, four year old Angus and two year old Lachlan, and at this stage we realised that we had to provide some
stability for the boys as well as being with Honor.

We were so grateful when a room became available at The Sick Children’s Trust’s Rainbow House, just around the corner from the hospital. The facilities here made it possible for us to maintain a degree of family life at a very stressful time, something that would otherwise have been impossible, or impossibly expensive. We heard of the charity initially from one of my work colleagues whose daughter had had cardiac surgery at GOSH, but the offer was made by the accommodation office in the hospital.

Our two boys were being looked after by my wife, Fiona’s, parents for the first two weeks of Honor’s time at GOSH but as soon as we moved into our ‘Home from Home’ we were able to have them in London for long weekends. Trips to see Honor on the Intensive Care Unit to read her stories were interspersed with visits to Coram’s Fields, Hamley’s and rides on London buses – something of a novelty for boys from rural Suffolk. Angus even started referring to Rainbow House as “our London home”.

Rainbow House gave us the chance to continue to act as a family, even at Honor’s most
difficult times. Our ability to take the boys to see Honor meant that they appreciated how
unwell she was and that we had to be in London because she needed us there. Their initial
fear of all the tubes very quickly changed to instructing their grandparents that they were
allowed to stroke Honor’s head but were not to touch any of the tubes as they were helping the doctors to make Honor better. We very much feel that being able to involve the boys to some extent meant that the transition to having Honor at home again was something they eagerly anticipated and when that time came, went smoothly.

It was good to meet other parents whose children were unwell in the house. Much
discussion ensued about our children’s respective problems and how we were all coping with the stresses of that time. In particular it helped us put Honor’s health in perspective
compared to some other children and families with major problems.

Knowing that Sandra, the house manager, was there on a very regular basis and that the ward knew where to call us at night was a huge relief to us too. We initially thought that we could stay with Honor 24 hours a day but it quickly became clear that we also needed our rest to deal with each day effectively. Sandra dealt quickly and efficiently with any questions we had about staying there and was a great source of support to us - sometimes a simple smile and “hello” can make the world of difference to a very bad day.

By mid-December, contrary to what we were initially told to expect, Honor had had enough of hospital life and decided she wanted to go home for her first Christmas. Our two boys were of course delighted to be back at home and welcomed Honor immediately as their new special sister. Without the ability to have them with us in London we feel this transition could not have been so easy.

Honor has made an impressive recovery with a significant improvement in her heart and mitral valve function. She may or may not need more cardiac surgery in the future; if that is required we are committed to going back to London and GOSH and are reassured by the knowledge that The Sick Children’s Trust will be there for us once again. We are hugely indebted to them for the care and support our family was given during this most difficult time and can never thank them enough.

Sinclair Gore, Honor’s dad.

An evening with the Aber Valley Welsh Male Voice Choir

On Monday 18th July, The Sick Children’s Trust held an evening with the Aber Valley Welsh Male Voice Choir at RGS Newcastle.

The 40-strong ensemble performed a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs including Nessun Dorma, Bring Him Home and the Rhythm of Life. The choir were supported by Morpeth based soprano Rachel Dyson who thrilled the audience with her beautiful voice, performing a mixture of romantic arias and songs from My Fair Lady/

The audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening, not just for the wonderful singing but for the unique sense of humour the choir added to the event. We hope to work with the choir again when they return to Newcastle upon Tyne in 2013.

The event, sponsored by Ward Hadaway Law Firm and hosted by David Haley, was a great success and raised £1200 for our ‘Home from Home’ Crawford House at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle upon Tyne.

With thanks to the following who kindly donated raffle prizes:
Dabawal Restaurant, Sainsbury’s Cramlington, The Demon Barber, Cake Poppins, Tyneside Cinema, Benfield Motor Group.